The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-06-10
WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON. DC, June 9th, 1887.
I,aborers are at work in one of the
Court yards of the Treasury building
excavating for the new vault, for which
Congress appropriated 1927, $40. This
will be the largest single money vault
known. 1t is to be large enough to
hold one hundred million silver dollars
and is full capacity will doubtless be
tested by the constant accumulation
from an annual production of not less
than twenty four millions of dollars.
The structure is to be entirely under
ground nothing is to appear on the
surface to indicate the depository of 50
much wealth. The vault will be lined
with an iron case, and will be divided
into sixteen compartments separated by
iron lattice partitions. There are to be
no dark corners in this building the
open lattice work is adapted so that
tho eye can range through all the COM
partments at one glance. The en-
trance will be through the sub-basement
of the Treasury building, which is at
all times thoroughly guarded, and a
dozen different men will be required to
open the vault, several series of unlock
ing being necessary, and one person
will only have the secret of one com bi-
nation lock. All the known che ecks
and securities will be applied, and by
means of clockwork and electricity
there will be some of the locks which
will open at certain hours of the day
only TO the Treasurer of the United
States.
The silver dollars in their new habi-
tation will be piled up in canvas bags
holding $1,000 each, one on top of the
other, as is now done in the existing
vaults.
The recent deaths, so close together,
of two prominent journalists, reminds
one of the deep swathe that has so
lately been cut into the profession of
journalism. 1t is but brief peri cd
since Adams of the Washington Star,
and Billy Copeland of the New York
Journal of Commerce were taken al
most with pencil in hand, so suddenl v
the summons came; and all these men
toned were not only connected by the
bonds of fellowship incident to com
mon brotherhood, but were more init
mately associated by ties of closest
friendship.
A prominent politician and member
of Congress now in the city, says that
for nine months in the year Washing
ton is the prettiest and pleasantest
place in the country, and only
needs better hotel Accommodations and a
large hall suitable for conventions, to
make it the very place for the next and
succeeding National Conventions.
As the physical beauties of Wash
ington are already beginning to be ap
preciated by the country, glance al
the efforts being made in the direction
of moral cleanliness and beauty in the
Nations Capitol would not be amiss
The Women's Temperance Unior
has become power in the land, anc
by means of their steady adherence to
well-devised plans of action, and of a
persistence strikingly illustrative o.
| thCii Scul aSC III hIuCinple W dintllOldlt
the condition of their fellow beings;-
the women of this city have al las
succeeded in entirely closing the bar
rooms here on Sunday, not only IN nam,
but in fact. They are also now en-
gagged in an endeavor to suppress the
exhibition of questionable pictures
used in advertising, which while they
attract the eye aud thus serve their pur
pose, also exert a more baleful infu
ence in leading the imagination of our
youth into evil channels.
A Probation Agency, for the benefi
of first offenders, has been recently es
tablished, whereby unfortunate youth
who have been brought before the Po-
lice Court may be afforded an oppor
tunity of bettering themselves, thus
Withholding from them the stigma OF
conviction of crime, and sentence tc
association of old criminals, and en-,
deavoring to procure honest employ.
ment for those in need.
A Women's Refuge is in successful
operation, also, where any may find a
welcoming, smiling and helpful hand
We have cause for congratulation,
that there Is so much of good in hu
manity, and that we live in an age OF
charitableness for the sinner, as well al
| of reprobation for the sin.